


It's Like When a Cat Falls Asleep on Your Lap, Maybe?

by sbuggbot



Category: SteamWorld Quest (Video Game)
Genre: Families of Choice, Fluff, Gen, Team Dad Orik
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:08:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24922063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sbuggbot/pseuds/sbuggbot
Summary: During the long process of gaining trust that ultimately ends in Orik taking the twins in as his own, Tarah falls asleep on him and he doesn't know how to react or respond.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	It's Like When a Cat Falls Asleep on Your Lap, Maybe?

**Author's Note:**

> Just a silly, cute idea that's been bouncing around between a few of us fans for a while now. I'm definitely on a Dad Orik kick after my friend's incredible fic "One Day That Wall is Gonna Fall" <https://archiveofourown.org/works/24852817>  
> (We share so many headcanons lol)

It wasn't exactly something that had been planned, it just happened. Orik had been doing his own thing when Tarah came up to him, climbed onto the couch, and wordlessly flopped against him. At first he wasn't sure if it was deliberate or not, but then she rested a little paw on him. Compared to her brother, Tarah rarely ever wanted to cuddle with someone that wasn't Thayne. Orik wasn't going to object to this rare occasion. Rather than draw attention to it, he just let her be. 

Now that he thought about it, Tarah hadn't stirred in a while now. He glanced down at her to make sure she wasn't frozen in panic or something. It turned out to be quite the opposite, in fact. She was still, her eyes were closed, and her breathing was slow and even. Even while seeming relaxed her ears weren't  _ this _ still...

….Oh, by Algyron, she was asleep, wasn't she? 

Wanting to snuggle with him was already uncommon enough, but actually falling asleep on him? This was unprecedented. Orik didn't know what to do in this situation, she'd  _ never _ let her guard down this much around anyone that wasn't Thayne.

...Does this make him Dad now?

He wasn't sure how deliberate this action was on Tarah's part, and he was hesitant to do anything that might wake her. She might startle really bad and wouldn't appreciate the scare if this was an accident. Seeing her this peaceful was a rare event and he wasn't sure when (or even if) it would happen again.

Copernica came in, evidently looking for something. Tarah hardly even twitched at the sound, she must be  _ out _ . "Did Armilly take back any of those weird plant samples she was talking about earlier?"

"I don't think she did, she just saw them to the west of the pond," Orik said, keeping his voice low. "I'd show you, but...I don't think I should try to get up right now."

"Why not? Are you ok?" she asked, looking towards him.

"Yes, I meant I don't think I'm legally allowed to move right now." Orik gestured to the sleeping child in his lap. 

Copernica moved where the other furniture wasn't blocking her view and had to muffle a snicker at the sight. Tarah, the tough, no-nonsense little girl who only cared about herself and her brother, was peacefully asleep cuddled against Orik's side. 

He forced his voice to go even quieter as he said, "She's never done this before and I don't want to wake her up help what do I do."

"If she's anything like a house cat, I think you're stuck for the time being."

Orik made a bizarre face as he mulled over his current fate for the time being. "It appears so…?"

\--

Thayne wandered in, likely wondering where his sister had gone off to. Upon finding her, he looked back and forth between her and Orik, confused. It wasn't alarm--he knew Orik was good--but even  _ he _ wasn't expecting Tarah to be ready to show this level of trust to anyone.

Orik raised one hand in a baffled, one-armed shrug.  _ I don't know either; she just did this herself! _

Orik's own befuddlement eased Thayne's anxiety some; at least the man wasn't angry about the present situation. Thayne climbed up onto the couch. "Tarah?" he mumbled as he shook her a bit.

It took her a minute to wake up; Orik's earlier suspicions she was sleeping deeply were correct. She looked over at Thayne, her eyes still half closed. "Mnnuh?"

"You fell asleep…" Thayne said. When he got a blank stare from his sister, he added, "...on Orik."

That got her attention. Tarah looked up, saw Orik, and  _ very quickly _ sat back up. "Oops?" This wasn't awkward and embarrassing, not at all! Also, Galleo was orange. She kept an eye on Orik in order to gauge his reaction to the situation.

"I'm not mad or upset, if that's what you're worried about," Orik said, "just a little confused." 

Thayne was giving her a particularly smug look, amusingly enough. She made a face right back at him.

As the last few clouds of drowsiness left her mind, Tarah remembered agreeing to explore part of the forest with Thayne earlier. Lucky her, already having plans so she had an excuse to make a quick exit. "This didn't happen," Tarah said to Orik as she began to leave. She had a reputation to keep!

"Alright," he said.

"I mean it!" she shouted over her shoulder as she went out the door, Thayne trailing behind.

She wasn't willing to admit it out loud, but she  _ had  _ been really comfy resting like that….


End file.
